Echoes: 2005

Cathy Meisel-Valdez, Chair of World Languages, is back this year! She reflects on why she and her family have returned and what makes a WMS education special. Small is Beautiful .

We revisit an essay written by Ed Farrell, Academic Dean and Chaplain, as he prepares for life beyond WMS.

A selection of poems by Kris Wright’s Creative Writing class. WMSAwarded Grant for Trail Work

Not just for trail improvement, but another way to integrate wilderness and sustainability into our classrooms, sports, community service and more.

Where do we go from here?

WMS helps students find colleges that are “good fits.”

Oh What A Night 11

Hosted by our international students, the 3rd Annual International Night explored beautiful and complex cultures of the world.

118th Commencement 12

Introducing our newest alumni of White Mountain School and recipients of this year’s Commencement Awards and Scholarships.

From Backcountry Gourmet to Zen & the Art of Backpacking, Spring OLE trips were as diverse in landscape as they were in structure.

Exploring 15

How the Theater program explores improvisation, characterization and the elements of a scene, as explained by Sam Brown, Instructor.

Fall Sports

Class Notes (available as a separate download) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

16

Telling Tales 30

The community service storytelling troupe sparked the imaginations of area school children.

Above: Formal dinner remains a tradition enjoyed at White Mountain School. On the Cover: Photo of a sunflower in the School’s community garden by Sam Brown, Theater Instructor.

1 1,,00000 0 w woorrk k h hoouurrs s

were donated to the local communities in a one-day marathon of service. On May 13th, faculty, staff and students were at twelve locations gardening, stocking salmon, splitting wood, and lending a hand where needed. Work sites included The Rocks Estate, AHEAD in Littleton and Lisbon, the Daughters of Charity retirement home, the Twin Mountain ballfield, the Pemi-Valley Habitat for Humanity, Live and Let Live Farm, as well as trail work for the U.S. Forest Service and clean up along some of the North Country’s rivers.

Finding Alternatives...

During a recent morning meeting, I recounted this true story from my first year at WMS (1981) which represents, for me, the epitome of a WMS student and one reason I have returned after a 12-year hiatus. That first year I was hired to teach Spanish, French and a sophomore English course.

Since college I had been intrigued by Latin American literature, so I was elated to have the opportunity of exercising the professional freedom of selecting a novel in translation by Mexican diplomat and author, Carlos Fuentes entitled “The Death of Artemio Cruz” for the English course.

When we had finished reading the challenging, non-chronological novel, I outlined the requirements for the culminating paper on the work. A student, Nathan Smith ‘84, asked if he “had” to do the paper. Off-handedly I replied, “No, you don’t “Have” to do the paper. You can call up the author and interview him, then just write that up.”

Not long after class, Nate ran up to me at dinner and said, “Cathy, you have to be in your apartment at seven tonight.” My surprise was tinged with incredulity when he explained that Carlos Fuentes would be calling my home for the interview. “Do you have questions ready?” I queried. “Not yet,” he replied, “but I will.” At home, as Jonathan and Iwondered if there would really be a call, Nate showed up just before seven. As planned, Carlos Fuentes called my house! I was taken aback and spoke to the renowned man in Spanish and English. He allowed that he was impressed that we had read the novel in a high school sophomore English course and that one of our students had the initiative to find him at Princeton. I then turned the phone over to Nate who proceeded with his interview. When he concluded, he was beaming!

and learning more than the original assignment.

by Cathy Meisel-Valdez Chair, World Languages

The day the paper was due, Nate turned in his interview and Iasked him to present it to his peers. He was still smiling from the coup and proudly shared what he learned from the author himself.

When asked, as part of a professional development day at another school, to reflect on an important event in our teaching careers, Iremembered this incident and decided to write about it for Independent School, the NAIS(National Association of Independent Schools) magazine in 1994. Today this incident still astounds me, especially when Ithink that back then most students (and I) didn’t even own a computer and the “Google search” was not yet ubiquitous. How did Nate track down the author so quickly? His motivation to avoid paper writing actually led him to learn even more by finding an alternative.

This story, along with others, such as the time I offered the idea of studying African literature in my French IV class (those students opted for that, and I learned so much myself!), remind me that being a teacher sometimes means coming up with options that might not seem doable, logical or usual. The beauty of WMSis that we have community members (students, faculty, staff, parents, trustees) who are open to seeing from different perspectives, an important talent in our changing world.

We were pleased to have Cathy and Jonathan Meisel rejoin our campus community this year. Jonathan is Chair of the Humanities Department and Cathy is Chair of World Languages. Their son Ben is a member of the class of 2006.

Ten Terrific Ways to Support Your White Mountain School:

1. Promote all of the great things happening at WMSby sharing Echoes or Campus Notes (Alan Popp’s e-newsletter) with friends and family.

2. Recommend WMS to prospective students and parents, and let our Admission Office know! Encourage them to visit WMS online at www.whitemountain.org.

3. Proudly identify yourself as a WMS alum, student, parent, or friendwhen meeting new people, submitting a resume, or making a newspaper announcement.

4. Attend WMS events and bring along friends or alumnae/i with you.

5. Offer to host a gathering for Admissions or fellow alumnae/i in your area.

6. Volunteer to serve your class as a reunion chair or class scribe.

7. Give a gift annually to WMS.

8. Ask someone to join you in giving to WMS and/or identify your company as a matching gift company.

9. Include WMS in your will or estate planning.

10. Make a gift to our Capital Campaign to help build a new science center, residence hall, and arts center

NHS Adds New Members

This May, the WMS chapter of the National Honor Society welcomed new inductees.

Front Row (L to R): Becky Beno (NHS advisor), *Lizzy Gibson ‘05, *Ziggy Martin ‘06, *Elsa Camuamba ‘06, Angela Mazimba ‘05, *Bupe Mazimba ‘06, *Brienne Black ‘06, Michelle Isner ‘05 and Jane Zanger (NHS advisor).

Back Row (L to R): *Avery Croft ‘05, *Chloe Watlington ‘05, *Alex Foss ‘06, *Yannick Steffan ‘08, Laurah John ‘05, *Daniel Lee ‘07, Rachel Wallace ‘05 and Mel LaBelle ‘06. Missing in picture is *Natalie Nielson ‘06. *indicates 2005 inductee.

Announcing...

32nd Cultural Events Series

W WhhoolleeSSaalle e K Klleezzmmeer r B Baannd d (September 22)

Performing in Yiddish and Ashkenazic Hebrew, this band specializes in making its music accessible to the English- speaking world with translations, stories, explanations, visual aids and the universal language that speaks to your feet and makes them want to dance. The band’s music expresses Jewish values of justice and peace.

N Naattaarraaj j - P Peerrffoorrmmiinng g A Arrtts s o of f I Innddiia a (November 10)

Elaborate costumes, devotional music, thrilling percussive rhythms and tinkling ankle bells transport the audience through time and space, imparting an understanding of the culture and religion of India.

J JeehhKKuullu u - W Weesst t A Affrriiccaan n D Drruum m & D Daanncce e (January 26)

Jeh Kulu means “community” in the Banbara language of Mali. Founded in 1993, the group offers traditional rhythms and dances from Guinea and Senegal, West Africa. Through their performance, they demonstrate the complex polyrhythms played on traditional drums, the djembe and doun doun, which are accompanied by spectacular dancers who delight with synchronized movements and exciting choreography.

G Grraannddmmaasstteer r T Tssuujji i X XI I a annd d S Saammuurraai i T Taaiikko o D Drruummmmeerrs s (April 13)

Exciting, high energy, mesmerizing samurai style drumming which merges soulful musical talents, extraordinary martial arts skills and deep knowledge of drumming carried through generations of Grandmaster Tsuji’s family for 500 years. Songs and choreography are based on historical events, spirituality, nature and overall Japanese culture.

Small is Beautiful

We wish Ed Farrell, Academic Dean and Chaplain, a fond farewell as he embarks on a new path. Ed contributed the following writing in Echoes in 1999. We gladly reprint it with quotes from alumnae/i as a tribute to how he has mattered to us all during his time at White Mountain School.

Small is Beautiful. Remember that book?

E.F. Schumaker’s classic, subtitled Economics As If People Mattered , has become a must read for sustainable development advocates and a cornerstone of modern management theory from the dot.com corporations of Silicon Valley to the micro-banks of Bangladesh. And, it’s what we’ve been up to as well. Small isBeautiful: Education As If People Mattered.

We don’t teach stuff at WMS; we teach people. And our size is what permits us to do this. Small classes permit our faculty to reach the whole range of learning styles and abilities. In the same class, we can spend time helping one student sharpen study skills while another is challenged to hone her critical thinking, or teaching communication to one project team while another works on collaborative techniques. Small is beautiful; it lets you get to every student every day and lets each of them begin to assume responsibility for the direction of his or her own learning. Small permits the kind of coaching, pushing, cajoling, nurturing and prodding that ultimately supplies students with the confidence and competency that prepares them for rigorous college studies.

Small let’s teaching and learning move beyond traditional academics as well.

Because we know our students well, we are able to move them to greater levels of self-awareness and understanding. (My students always know the answer to the question, “What’s this story about?” “Us,” they say.) Knowing where students live, so to speak, makes it possible to help them e xamine their own neighborhoods. If I know about a boy’s passion for soccer or a girl’s for rock climbing, I can relate those to a poem, or a scripture story, or an essay, and can show them that each is a piece of the mirror that can show them who they are and how they relate to the world.

And that, finally, is what secondary education is all about. I’m 47 now and Ican remember almost none of the content of my small high school’s classes. But I do remember several e xtraordinary teachers who knew me well enough to show me how to learn, and one or two others who helped me see who I was and what my place in the world might be. I mattered to them. I’ve never forgotten that lesson. People matter

Small is beautiful.

-

Ed Farrell, Academic Dean and Chaplain

“Ed made philosophy and religion cool to us without dumbing it down. He had a great sense of humor and was sincere. This gave him more credibility with the students than teachers 20 years younger than him.” -

Jud Reid ‘92

“Receiving Ed's praise for my writing helps me to this day to find my moral voice. Ed used the respect and admiration I held for him to lift me up and for that I am grateful.” -

Sol Diamond ‘93

“He believed in me academically, he challenged me to challenge myself (academically and in all areas of life), he supported me through emotionally tough times, he counseled me on relationships, and he even kept me out of trouble before I got into it. Ed cared more than he had to, and he pushed just the right amount.” -

Jessica Brookes-Parkhill ‘96

“...when I think of WMS I think of Ed. He is one person that all students have encountered...and whether the encounter was a good or bad one, something was always gained at the end.” - LaToya

Isaac ‘03

Unique Voices

The Creative Writing class at White Mountain School has been designed to give students an outlet for written, creative expression and an audience for the uniqueness of their own voices. Concentrating on, among others, such elements of Poem and Story Craft as plot, point of view, and the purposeful use of language, the class has examined conventional and unconventional approaches to writing poems and stories. Throughout the course, students have created original works within prescribed forms of poetry and fiction, developing ideas into completed works through the implementation of the writing process and peer consultations. Each student has become an authority in regard to her or his own work as well as the strategies and techniques employed by writers in their craft. The Spring 2005 Creative Writing class is proud to present the following examples of their work.

Mischief

- Jennie Lee ‘06

Amazed by craziness, daring enough for great, hor rific ideals, just kindling laughter. Many nights often play quite ritually, something thoroughly unpleasant, verifying wonder.

Name

- Owen Curvelo ‘05

A name is an identification, A means for some gratification. This world adores these small honors, To become saints, typical, or goners, Just for an amount of glory And a chance for, in their name, a story.

Artwork above by (from L to R): Lane Huntington ‘05, pinhole gram self-portrait; Lee Chaubane ‘06, pinhole double exposure self-portrait; Jeff Deming ‘05, Morgan Golden ‘05 in the rain; Andrew McKean ‘06, photo collage.

A Thinking MAN

Brilliance is e xhausting. With every good idea, the hunger for a better one becomes strongerUntil you are scraping the bedrock of your mind, until you have been completely Depleted, there are no e xcuses. I want more. I want to astound the masses again and again. And when brilliance becomes the norm and people are so used to being astounded that they have become bored with brilliance, I can take a rest.

Mirror

The boy in the mirror is he. He has no name.

He is a reflection of self to all others, Present in all who look, Cold to touch.

Smudges change his appearance And blur his message: Be yourself.

- Ryland Young ‘05

- Avery Croft ‘05

Kris Wright, Creative Writing Instructor, with Grace Ochieng ‘08.

WMSAwarded Grant for Trail Work

Get ready to get dirty! This May, WMS was awarded a grant through the New Hampshire Department of Resources and Economic Development, Divison of Parks and Recreations, Bureau of Trails to make improvements to a washed out portion of the trail leading to Echo Crag Trail in Franconia Notch. The project provides an excellent opportunity for WMS to integrate wilderness and sustainability into classrooms, afternoon sports, activities, community service and Outdoor Learning Expeditions. These interdisciplinary options will truely make this a school-wide project. Grant money may be used for experts, equipment and supplies. Once the project specifications receive final approval, WMS must complete the work by September 2007. Special thanks to Torrey McMillan, Chair of Sustainability Studies, and Mark Vermeal, Director of Wilderness Skills, for their successful grant writing. Read more about Bureau of Trails at www.nhtrails.org.

2003-2005 College Matriculation

Where do we go from here?

Agnes Scott College*

American University

Bishop's University*

Boston University

Bridgewater College

Carnegie Mellon University

Colby-Sawyer College*

Colorado Mountain College *

Colorado School of Mines

Cornell University*

Eckerd College

Eugene Lang College/New School University*

Full Sail*

Green Mountain College

Hampshire College

Hartwick College

Hobart & William Smith Colleges

Ithaca College

Lafayette College

LaGrange College

Lewis & Clark College

Loyola University New Orleans

Lyndon State College

Lynn University

Marlboro College

Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts*

Montana State University *

Mount Holyoke College

Northern Arizona University*

Plymouth State College

Pratt Institute

Prescott College *

Quinnipiac University

Roger Williams University

Saint Joseph's College (ME)*

Saint Michael's College

Saint Olaf College

School of the Museum of Fine Arts/Tufts University*

Temple University*

University of British Columbia*

University of Colorado - Boulder *

University of New Hampshire

University of Pittsburgh*

University of Puget Sound - Honors Program

University of Rhode Island*

University of Saint Andrew's

University of San Francisco

University of Tampa*

University of Vermont

University of West of England

Warren Wilson College *

Washington College

Western New England College*

Western State College of Colorado

* indicates Class of 2005.

TopL: Grace Ochieng ‘08 prepares Brady Mott ‘05 for the basket carrying contest.

Top R: Lauren Reber, Humanities & Religion Instructor, and Laurah John ‘06.

Middle L: Dan Lee ‘07 prepares sushi for Rachel Koepke ‘05. Middle R: Jill Fineis, Science Instructor, and Jaime Pollitte, Upper Burroughs Dorm Head, make the rounds.

Bottom: The entire WMS community enjoyed the night’s performances.

Oh What A Night!

April 21- WMS celebrated the beautiful and complex cultures of the world with its 3rd Annual International Night. Interactive info-tables were created by our international students showcasing pictures, flags, music, sculptures, clothing and homemade appetizers from their countries. Language students prepared info -tables about French and Spanish-speaking countries. The kitchen cooked up a feast of international delicacies, and afterwards, international students held a quiz game with questions about their countries. Grace Ochieng ‘08, who is from Kenya, held a hilarious race between teacher Jen Granducci and Brady Mott ‘05 to see who could carry a basket of bananas on their head the fastest. The night ended with a traditional African dance performed by Bupe Mazimba ‘07, Laurah John ‘05 and Elsa Camuamba ‘06.

“The evening was an uplifting reminder that diversity is a strength and a resource for every community.”

- Becky Beno, International Advisor

Commencement June 4, 2005

The Class of 2005 in the formal garden

S e a t e d L t o R : Jennifer Pearson (Charlottesville, V A), Chloe Watlington (Manchester, MA), Rachel Wallace (Stone Mountain, GA), Angela Mazimba (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia), Cassie Immelt (Brooklandville, MD), Laurah John (Castries, St. Lucia), Emily Noblet (Raleigh, NC), Caitlyn Parkhurst (Vineyard Haven, MA), Rachel Koepke (Boston, MA), Elizabeth Gibson (West Glover, VT), Elizabeth Parrish (Stowe, VT), Megan Graf (Chicago, IL), Ashley Smith (West Hartford, CT), Michelle Isner (Granville, MA).

S t a n d i n g L t o R : James Weiner (Bryn Mawr, PA), Zachary Engel (Trent Woods, NC), Morgan Golden (Boston, MA), Jeff Deming (Exeter, NH), Frank Brown (Nicosia, Cyprus), Kyle Dunfey-Ball (Intervale, NH), Lane Huntington (Lyman, NH), Owen Curvelo (Sarasota, FL), Sam Haverstock (Acton, MA), Parker "Avery" Croft III (Burlington, VT), Eli Hutchison (Ridgefield, CT), Paul "Ryland" Young, Jr. (Atlanta, GA), Brady Mott (Malta, NY).

2005 Commencement Awards

The Head’s Award

Chloe Watlington ‘05

The Faculty Award

Laurah John ‘05

The Bishop’s Prize

Daniel Lee ‘07

The Lt. Michael S. Pierce ‘82 Award

Avery Croft ‘05

The Courage Prize

Sam Haverstock ‘05

The Samuel Robinson II Community Service Award

Mary Lockhart, Librarian

The Mountaineering Award

Kyle Ball ‘05

The Valpey Prize for History

Rachel Wallace ‘05

The Robin MacQuire Pearson ‘92 Award

Ashley Smith ‘05

The Richard J. Hayes Prize for Mathematics

Natalie Neilson ‘06

The Caroline O. McMillan ‘47 Music Award

Brady Mott ‘05

The Frederic L. Steele Prize for Science

Ashley Smith ‘05

The Alice C. Humphrey Prize for Spanish

Michelle Isner ‘05

The Religion and Humanities Prize

L aurah John ‘05

The Ethel W. Devin Prize for English

Angela Mazimba ‘05

The Goodrich Prize for French

Angela Mazimba ‘05

The Departmental Prize in Art

Chloe Watlington ‘05

2005 Scholars

Houghton-Duane Scholar

Christina Blank ‘08

Paula K. Valar Scholar

Benjamin Meisel ‘06

Ann Jane Connor Scholar

Bupe Mazimba ‘07

Deborah McIlwaine/Brantwood Scholar

Grace Ochieng ‘08

Mary Holbrook-Russell Scholar

Elsa Camuamba ‘06

Dorothy Ellingwood McL ane Scholar

Zekeria Martin ‘06

Jane A. Difley, President andForester of the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests delivered this year’s commencement speech. She said White Mountain School students are differencemakers based upon their tenacity, thoughtfulness and unique experiences. Students need to embrace the concept of “sustainability,” which she defined as “having the tools and the will to meet a future that is largely unknown.”

“If you can climb walls, if you can survive 10 degrees below temperature, if you can survive mud season and outlive the black flies, then you have the ability to make a difference.”

SPRING OLE’s:

I have walked this trail six times this spring, and every time the world seems remade –snow recedes farther upslope, streams “too lofty and original to rage” wend their way alongside the trail, their courses changed as snow melts back. Today, the tight dark green spears of new growth unfurled themselves to declare themselves in the rising chorus of spring’s arrival.

New blossoms in afternoon pendulous yellow flowers each day a new season.

- Pavel Cenkl, Humanities Instructor and co-leader of the “Finding the Middle Way” climbing OLE.

Backcountry Gourmet = Getting Strong &Dirty: TrailBuilding = Coastal Maine Perspectives: Biking = Finding the Middle Way: Climbing = Habitat for Humanity History of Skiing on Mt. Washington = Zen & the Art ofBackpacking = Wilderness First Responder = Proctor Leadership = Solitude & the Experience of Wilderness

Exploring:

improvisation, characterization and the elements of a scene.

by Sam Brown, Theater Instructor

As darkness fell, I took a deep breath. With an excited nervousness I waited for the music to begin, lights to rise, and Father Drobney to enter from the stage left doorway. For the last 9 weeks I had been waiting for this moment to arrive as I worked with my spring Performance Theater class on “Don’t Drink the Water,” a two-act comedy by Woody Allen.

After exploring improvisation, characterization and the elements of a scene, we worked on the process of creating a full length performance. In class we discussed and experienced all of the elements that create a play: lights, sound, set, costumes, makeup, lines, rehearsals, drama in rehearsals, laughter, tears, and sweat. The class evolved from a group of students to a group of artists working collaboratively to create, hopefully, a stunning final result. The final result was stunning! A Sultan, a bumbling ambassador’s son, an eccentric cook, a magical priest, and a myriad of other characters graced the audience with their presence. These characters wove together a hilarious, masterful story for the audience. My students not only had fun, they did a great job throughout the entire journey

In the fall semester, the Introduction to Theater class performed five One Acts by playwright’s David Ives, Rich Orloff, Craig Pospisil, and our very own aspiring writer, Ben Meisel ‘06. The short plays shared a couple of common themes. They all touched upon the diversity of human relationships, explored how we mesh and don’t mesh with others, and gave a glimpse of how we relate to the changing world around us. In the School’s theater we created a pond swarming with Horace and May, two May-flies, a NYC subway car with four friends as passengers, and a rooftop, where a teacher e xperienced the unexpected.

Theater is about working together, telling a story about life, and taking the audience on a journey. As a theater teacher, I want my students to gain an understanding of how theater relates to their own lives and how they can begin to tell their own stories on stage. In your own theatrical experiences remember to break a leg, be magnificent and light up the sky

Top: Ziggy Martin ‘06 and Ben Meisel ‘06.

Middle: Owen Curvelo ‘05 and Natalie Nielson ‘06

Bottom: Sam Haverstock ‘05, Kendra Lowe ‘06, James Weiner ‘05, and Natalie Nielson ‘06.

SPRING S SPPO O R RTTS S

Class Notes

SPECIAL NOTE:

e l l i n g T a l e s

T“ The students, teachers and parents have been telling me since [your performance] what a wonderful show it was. As a librarian, I was very impressed by your students’ performances. They truly got into their roles.”

“ The children had great fun and talked about it and still do! It is wonderful when young people make the effort to do something for someone else.”

“...the storytelling was a great addition to TV-Turnoff Week. We enjoyed the stories and the actors so much!”

*Artwork on this page created by school children as “thank yous” for the WMS storytellers’ performances.

“Thank you so much for bringing your students to our school to perform. The storytellers did a fabulous job and we thoroughly enjoyed the production. In addition to the performance, I want to thank you and your students for the donation of the books. What a wonderful example of community service.”

And the winner is?

Light Blue! Congratulations to the Light Blue Team for winning this year’s competition. Could 2006 be the year for Dark Blue? Stay tuned!

Do you know a student who may be right for The White Mountain School?

P lease tell us by contacting the Admissions Office. Phone (800) 545-7813, e-mail admissions@whitemountain.org, or visit www.whitemountain.org.

Alumnae/i Art Exhibit:

A special showcase of art by alumnae from the mid-1950’s decorated Great Hall during reunion weekend in June. Clockwise from top left are pieces by Lili Weld Tetzeli ‘55, Diane Damrell Shumway ‘54, Birdie Waterston Britton ‘55, Lukie Chapman Reilly ‘53, and Trixie McCandless Wadhams ‘55.

Echoes of Tomorrow

371 West Farm Road

Bethlehem, NH03574

(603) 444-2928

alumni@whitemountain.org

CHANGESERVICEREQUESTED

Parents of Alumni/ae:

If Echoes is addressed to your son or daughter who no longer maintains a permanent address at your home, kindly email us with his or her new address. Thank you.